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Product reviews and prices, software downloads, and tech news - CNET
CNET is the premier destination for tech product reviews, news, price comparisons, free software downloads, daily videos, and podcasts.
Reviews, news, and prices on tech products, as well as free downloads and newsletters.
In today's tech news, a crash involving a self-driving Uber leads the company to halt its autonomy program. A British politician calls for intelligence services to access Whatsapp to fight terrorism. And Spotify partners with Waze to bring music and GPS together.


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Simmons’ Sporting Goods in Bastrop is our newest lakedarbonnelife.com sponsor! Welcome!
Simmons’ is the South’s largest sporting goods outfitter. A trip just to look around has become a destination in our region and if you are like me, you can’t leave without picking up something you saw and realized you really needed! But the real “destination” is the huge inventory of sporting goods that you can find in the 100,000 square foot store. Jeff, Robin, Lindsey and Hunter and their knowledgeable staff have put every effort into making sure hunters and outdoorsmen in our area have easy access to what they need, all in a locally owned and managed store.
And if you don’t have time to get there, you can go online at http://www.simmonssportinggoods.com and find your every need and have it delivered to your door.
Simmons’ will once again be hosting the area’s largest Big Buck Contest this Fall with numerous divisions for deer hunters and some fabulous prizes. You can view information and rules for the contest on their web site as well as photos of the leaders when the new contest begins.
And here’s some great news for duck hunters: Simmons’ is bringing back the popular Simmons’ Duck Report this waterfowl season. Jeff will be bringing us daily reports with direct daily contacts from the field and woods. It will be available online so you can access it anytime on their website http://www.simmonssportinggoods.com and will include daily updates on waterfowl migrations, successes, hunting tips and conditions every day during the 60-day season plus a few special editions along the way!
In fact, the first duck report from opening weekend of teal season, including comments from the state’s LDWF waterfowl leader Larry Reynolds, is on the site today!
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» Cadangan Insentif Bagi Kakitangan Awam Master Dan Phd
Cadangan Insentif Bagi Kakitangan Awam Master Dan Phd
Cadangan Insentif Bagi Kakitangan Awam Master Dan Phd on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Thursday, April 17, 2014
Through a practical point of view, Asus (7/5) in the Grand Ballroom Grand Indonesia, Jakarta, Asus launched Fonepad.
Fonepad is a combination between a tablet and a 7-inch phone, with 3G mobile data and an Intel Atom Z2420 processor.
“Looking at [...]
Cooler Master Thursday (09/04) launches headphones aimed at people who love to travel, namely HC-300 and HS-500.
Both headphones are using HDSS technology, a breakthrough technology that eliminates the distortion that can move more freely.
Model HC-300 [...]
Moscow – Thousands of Russian citizens were mobilized to clean up the damage caused by the meteor hit near the Ural mountains failed to find the space rock fragments. Failing that later sparked a conversation about the conspiracy theories about [...]
BBC Weather Twitter account today hijacked by a hacker group called the Syrian Electronic Army.
This hacker group is a group that supports the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, as reported by cnet.com (21/03).
Through Reuters, BBC ensure that their [...]
Promoting tourism and economic development to the outside world with more easily.
Google began to introduce the features of Google Street View in Indonesia after Friday afternoon (11/23) symbolically release two special cars that will record the roads [...]
Electronic manufacturer Samsung Electronics continues to seriously working on portable computer market (notebook).
Despite playing for two years, Samsung has dared to issue a premium grade products at affordable prices.
Samsung Notebook Series 5 AMD [...]
The event introductions latest smartphone Samsung, Galaxy S4, South Africa is considered too sexy woman indulgence.
Because of this, the South Korean manufacturer is finally formally apologized.
Quoted from Techradar, Monday (25/3), an event held in [...]
If the basic applications like wallpaper request access to the GPS data, then it is suspicious.
More than 100,000 Android apps in the Google Play are included in the category of “suspicious” and “questionable”, according to a [...]
During the 8 years of its action in the virtual world, the video sharing site YouTube was only a contest to find out who the winner of the best video.
Surprisingly, Google was now ready to shut down the site because they have finally reached the point [...]
The issue of global warming causing many manufacturers to make devices that are environmentally friendly. Including one replacement power source for electricity with renewable sources or unlimited.
This one device seems to be an environmentally friendly [...]
The design is minimalist.
Leaked photo of the latest BlackBerry smart phone cellular seemed talkative use touch screen technology, rated following the design of the iPhone from Apple.
The photos leaked to tech site Vietnam, Tinhte.vn it, believed to [...]


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Today’s topics include AT&T’s new LTE modules for the IoT market, a big reveal of new notebooks by HP, the debut of Acer’s premium Windows 10 smartphone, and EMC’s plan to downsize in advance of a planned acquisition by Dell.
AT&T announced a family of Long Term Evolution (LTE) modules to meet the needs of a range of Internet of things (IoT) applications. These modules are designed to simplify and lower the cost of IoT device designs as well as to improve device performance.
The modules are expected to become available from Wistron NeWeb (WNC), with pricing starting at $14.99 each, plus applicable taxes, beginning in the second quarter.
HP has taken wraps off of several new notebooks at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new notebooks are aimed at business customers, but sport high-end consumer fit and finish.
The HP EliteBook Folio running Windows 10 Pro is a good example of how HP is showing off its consumer expertise while not sacrificing any of the enterprise features prized by IT.
Billed by HP as “the world’s thinnest and lightest business-class notebook,” the Elitebook Folio is 21 percent slimmer and 15 percent lighter, at just under a kilogram, than its predecessor, the HP EliteBook 1020.
During this week’s CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Acer is showing off its new Liquid Jade Primo handset.
Running Windows 10 Mobile, the premium smartphone will support the mode-switching Continuum feature that provides a Windows desktop experience when it’s connected to a dock, a monitor with USB Type-C support or wireless display accessories.
Liquid Jade Primo will be joining Microsoft’s own flagship Windows 10 smartphones in the mobile market.
EMC will cut jobs ahead of its expected acquisition by Dell later this year. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Dec. 31, EMC officials stated that company management had approved a restructuring plan aimed at reducing expenses by $850 million annually.
The plan calls for an unspecified number of jobs to be cut, with most of those layoffs occurring by the end of the first quarter. The remaining job cuts will be completed by the end of the year, according to the SEC filing.


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To say the 2014 Geneva Motor Show was packed full of news is an understatement as big as the Despite only having two press days, there’s so much coming out of the Geneva Motor Show that we feel ...s Coupe leans into its high style in Switzerland Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept bows again, now with more Following the leaked pictures we showed you yesterday, we have the full battery of images and info of the As is so often the case ahead of a major debut, somebody wasn’t able to keep the latest concept Audi has done an incredibly poor job of keeping the third-generation Audi TT a secret. The first images of Last week, we showed you some leaked images of the Hyundai Intrado Concept, a vehicle set for debut at
2014 hilux images
2014 Hilux Images information provide by AutoCarPress.com - automotive news and reviews. Find other information related to 2014 Hilux Images .


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Nokia’s comeback is in full swing with this fully featured winner which survived even clumsy PAT PILCHER’s attempts to destroy it straight out of the box.
PAT PILCHER finds you don’t have to spend a fortune to get flagship smartphone features.
PAT PILCHER goes hands-on with Huawei’s Y9 Prime smartphone and finds plenty of bang for not much buck.
Vodafone will launch the much-anticipated future of cellphone technology later this year. PAT PILCHER explains what 5G will do for you and me.
Worried about interlopers when you’re using free public Wi-Fi? You should be. PAT PILCHER discovers that Trend Micro has the answer.
PAT PILCHER checks out Sammy’s affordable A50 smartphone and finds that it packs a punch well above its price point.
PAT PILCHER discovers that he is indeed a world-class photographer, thanks to the amazing, scenery-changing photographic chops of Huawei’s award-winning new smartphone.
Huawei may be battling governments left, right and centre, but when it comes to their phones, they’re winning, and their new budget offering is no exception, says PAT PILCHER


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Highly regulated industries demand e-signatures that comply with stringent requirements.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (PRWEB) February 03, 2017
SIGNiX, the leading provider of cloud-based digital signatures, announced today that Business Development Executives Steve Johnson and Brandon Pickett will present a workshop on “E-Signatures for Highly Regulated Industries” at the Laserfiche EMPOWER Conference, scheduled for February 7-10 in Long Beach, California.
SIGNiX has deep experience with businesses in regulated industries – such as financial services, healthcare, life sciences and government – because its technology is compliant with the most demanding industry standards and regulations and offers comprehensive legal evidence of each signature’s validity and each signed document’s integrity. SIGNiX joined the Laserfiche Professional Developer Partner (PDP) program in 2016 and integrated its sophisticated Independent E-Signature™ technology into Laserfiche Client or Web Access, providing Laserfiche’s clients with a secure method to digitally sign critical documents.
“Highly regulated industries demand e-signatures that comply with stringent requirements,” said Jay Jumper, president and CEO of SIGNiX. “SIGNiX is the ideal e-signature for such cases, and at the Laserfiche EMPOWER Conference, we’ll dive into exactly what these regulated businesses must look for in an e-signature—and what they need to avoid—to ensure the e-signature solution meets industry compliance standards and the highest levels of security, data privacy and legal evidence.”
Recently, MCCi—a leading Laserfiche reseller that helps businesses go paperless, improve business processes and manage documents and information—began offering the Laserfiche/SIGNiX integrated e-signature product in its portfolio of services.
“The majority of our clients are in the public sector, so any product MCCi offers must be compliant with strict industry standards,” said Donny Barstow, President of MCCi. “With this unique product offering from SIGNiX, our clients have saved a significant amount of time and money by omitting the need to print, sign, fax or scan a document—all while remaining compliant and strictly limiting risk.”
SIGNiX will also be an exhibitor at the upcoming conference. To register or to learn more about the Laserfiche EMPOWER Conference, visit https://empower.laserfiche.com/register.
SIGNiX, the nation’s leading provider of Independent E-Signatures, makes signing documents online safe and secure. SIGNiX’s cloud-based service uses patented technology to give businesses the most secure and legally defensible digital signatures available at a fraction of the cost of paper. SIGNiX’s products help the world’s leading companies become more efficient, decrease risk and boost profits. For more information, visit http://www.signix.com.
Based in Long Beach, CA, with global headquarters in Hong Kong and offices in Shanghai, Toronto, Mexico, London, Washington, D.C., and Fort Lauderdale, FL, Laserfiche uses its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. Since 1987, more than 34,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—have used Laserfiche® software to streamline document, records and business process management.
Laserfiche®, Run Smarter® and Compulink® are registered trademarks of Compulink Management Center, Inc.
About MCCi Innovations
MCCi understands the challenges organizations face every day with paper-based processes. They provide innovative solutions that transform these challenges into smart practices that improve efficiency, productivity, and organizational structure. As the largest reseller of the Laserfiche solution, MCCi is passionate about helping organizations run their office more efficiently – saving time, money and resources. Website: http://www.mccinnovations.com


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By now, you’ve probably read the New York Times (NYT) article, How Fashion Giants Recast Plastic as Good for the Planet, on how the Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI), a tool to measure material sustainability set up by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), unfairly ranks plastic-based materials over natural options such as leather, wool, silk and cotton etc. While the NYT article maintains a commendable level of balance, it does a fantastic job of laying out the facts about fossil fuel-derived materials and leather’s position in the public perception.
In the article, climate reporter Hiroko Tabuchi outlines how and why synthetic materials are strongly favoured in the Higg MSI, and the response from representatives in leather-using industries and independent experts.
Fashion industry analyst, and vocal critic of the Higg MSI, Veronica Bates Kassatly is quoted in the article saying: “The index is justifying the choices fashion companies are making by portraying these synthetics as the most sustainable choice. They’re saying: You can still shop till you drop, because everything is now so sustainably sourced.”
In response to claims that the Higg MSI is unbalanced, its senior executives and members have repeatedly fallen back on the idea that they’re just collecting data, and that the data will tell the story. A remarkably ignorant position in a time when every layperson is keenly aware of how easily data can be manipulated or skewed through its collection and presentation, especially around corporate greenwashing.
Tabuchi notes that polyester, for example, is rated in the Higg MSI as one of the world’s most sustainable fabrics. In a time when we have revolutionary materials in production and leather, cotton and wool are more sustainable than they have ever been, it’s frankly laughable to call an extruded plastic fibre the most sustainable option. Of course, this result is only achieved by using data on European polyester production provided by a plastics-industry group when the majority of the material is produced in Asia. The Higg MSI is also often accused by groups representing natural materials of not taking end-of-life into consideration and often being “opaque” around how it collects and presents the data.
Objectivity and transparency
It’s no surprise, as Bates Kassatly points out, that some of the key brands driving the use of fossil fuel-derived materials are the big backers behind the Higg MSI and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition which operates it. It’s no more reasonable to expect the Higg MSI to be impartial and objective while backed by the likes of Nike, Asics, asos and Amazon than it is to expect state-run media to show the full and honest picture of a nation’s news.
The problem is when a tool like the Higg MSI finds itself front and centre of an industry with easily digestible statistics. It will come to represent that industry with those statistics to the layperson and consumers will settle on those facts without digging deeper. The validity of the research and conclusions behind the index become irrelevant when consumers will take what they see and run with it – they can be expected to do little else.
For silk, its rating in the Higg MSI was drawn from a 2014 study of 100 silk farmers who rely on irrigation in a single state in India. The lead researcher from this study, Miguel F. Astudillo, told the NYT that the study was not representative of the global industry and was unaware it was being used by the index. “If they read the article and the results, they’d know it’s a stretch to use it for assessing silk in general,” he told Tabuchi.
However, the most significant problem here is not that the research behind the Higg MSI is faulty, or that there is an inherent bias from the companies that support the ratings, but that the ratings becoming a defacto validation of materials across a series of industries can, has and will irrevocably affect the perception of natural materials and synthetics.
This article is the result of campaigning from the industry, not least thanks to the hard work of the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA), which has been working for more than a year to get the story told. Leather’s fight against negative public perception is one that takes an extreme amount of effort for the smallest tip of the scales, and when fast-fashion giants can wave a hand to drastically change the balance, we have a problem.
Tom Hogarth, Deputy Editor


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STAFF BLOG ASTRO BOB This can't be real, but it is
I saw this photo on another online post and wanted to share it with you. It belongs in the same category as the planet Saturn when seen for the first time through a telescope - you can't believe it'... Posted on 9/7/10 at 2:47 PM
Hastings resident Ryan Levine can’t say how well he fared, but he promises one thing: Those who tune in to watch Wednesday’s Wheel of Fortune show won’t be disappointed.
Levine was in California in January for a taping of the show, and his time in the spotlight finally arrives Wednesday, April 13. The show airs at 6:30 p.m. on WCCO (Channel 4).
View your ad here! Cost effective targeted advertising. Contextual advertising starting as low as $79/month. This includes targeted ad delivery and search results! Add your business to the Marketplace »


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Unibet, the flagship brand of Kindred Group, has officially entered Pennsylvania through a partnership deal with Mohegan Sun Pocono. This marks the second…
…U.S. state this brand has conquered in just one month. Unibet has already laid out its plans for the planned infrastructure in PA, which should culminate with a full online presence.
Conquering the East Coast:
Unibet has had a great month so far. Several weeks ago this Kindred brand has opened a sportsbook in New Jersey while they also managed to bag a multi-year partnership with the local New Jersey Devils. Their conquest of the East Coast has led them to neighboring Pennsylvania where they have…
…partnered up with Mohegan Sun Pocono in an effort to open a sportsbook as well as an online casino later this year. Being one of the largest markets in this part of the United States, Pennsylvania is the prime target for numerous top tier operators.
Manuel Stan, SVP Kindred US, commented on the new deal: “We wanted a strong partner who shares our dedication to customer experience and values, and we know that together we will offer Pennsylvanians a truly unmatched in-house and soon-to-come online sports betting and casino experience.”
Aviram Alroy, Vice President of Interactive Gaming at Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, has also stated: “We’ve aligned with one of the world’s best online casino and sportsbook operators in online regulated markets, which will allow us to offer a best in class experience to our current clients and attract new fans. Introduction of the Unibet offering to the market is a great positive for Mohegan Sun, as well as the State of Pennsylvania.”
Within the first stage of their plan, the two companies will allow their clients and patrons to bet on NFL, NCAA, NBA, PGA, NHL, professional tennis and more. Aside from the usual sports, the new sportsbook enterprise will also cover a variety of combat sports which are slowly proving to be a lucrative niche. Because of that, PA fans of boxing, UFC, and MMA in general will be able to place bets on their favorite fighters in one of the most advanced sportsbooks in the state. The list of covered sports extends to cover numerous others.
With that said, the fans of slots and other casino content will get a high-end online casino platform that is predicted to have one of the largest libraries of games on the U.S. market.
Founded in 1997, Kindred Group started out as the dream of a single man. Some 20 years later, this company grew up into an industry giant, which owns 11 of the largest online gambling brands in Europe. Such a massive portfolio of sportsbook, online casinos and other enterprises has allowed this company to become an authority in its field.
With the goal of being the top operator in markets they have a presence in, it is constantly looking to improve their services.
Source: Miller, George. “Takes on its Second U.S. Market” https://europeangaming.eu/portal/press-releases/2019/09/27/55176/unibet-takes-on-its-second-u-s-market/. European Gaming. September 27, 2019.Author: Dusan Trifunovic


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Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple. You may have heard these names, but wonder what they are.
These are virtual currencies, sometimes referred to as cryptocurrencies, and they’ve become a hot market with consumers and investors in recent years.
Earlier this year, the price of a single bitcoin, the cryptocurrency invented by a mysterious software programmer named Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009, soared to a record high of nearly $64,000. And investors have poured approximately $2 trillion into more than 5,000 types of cryptocurrency over the past few years, according to recent reports.
And while cryptocurrency is considered a highly speculative investment prone to volatility, it has moved from margins of the internet to the mainstream of the business world. Recently, the Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon Corporation, the oldest bank in the nation, announced that it will start holding, transferring, and issuing cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Mastercard also announced in February, 2021 that it will start supporting certain cryptocurrencies for payments. And electric car manufacturer Tesla said it had invested $1.5 billion of its assets into bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, and announced it would let customers use the cryptocurrency to pay for its electric cars.
But what is a cryptocurrency and why have they become so valuable?
How does it work?
Cryptocurrency is a purely digital currency, which means it’s a form of money that exists exclusively online. As its name suggests, it also relies on a technology called encryption, which encodes information about how the currency is used in transactions, to keep it secure. And just like cash, cryptocurrency can be used for payment, or as an investment.
Here’s where it gets complicated. Cryptocurrencies are created using something called blockchain, or distributed ledger, software. That means the code produces an encrypted record of the value of each virtual coin and the transactions it’s involved in, distributing that record across numerous networks on the Internet. Distributed ledger is different from the way your bank keeps track of your dollars, in a centralized database that only it controls, cryptocurrency experts say.
Theoretically, “everyone on the Internet can access and store a copy [of a cryptocoin] with the history of all transactions that have ever happened,” said Niksa Orlic, a virtual currency expert and the chief executive officer of Geolux, a consultancy that provides hardware and software development services, based in Samobor, Croatia.
The distributed aspect of cryptocurrency potentially makes it more secure against hackers than the cash in your bank account, Orlic says, because hackers would have to break into millions of computers to steal a particular cryptocurrency, rather than one centralized network.
Dangers and risks of cryptocurrency
Initially, a lack of oversight and regulation led to a number of scandals centered around transactions made with cryptocurrency and the exchanges where cryptocurrency is bought and sold. For example, bitcoin was the currency used in many of the transactions on the now shut down Silk Road, a marketplace for drugs and other illegal items on the “dark web.”
Good to know: In the U.S., cryptocurrency is not considered an official currency, and regulators have taken a hands-off approach to regulating it, providing oversight while allowing it to be bought and sold on specialized exchanges, used in financial transactions, and offered to the public through something called an initial coin offering, or ICO. Some of the regulators include the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Unlike bank deposits, cryptocurrency deposits are not insured by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Until recently, big banks have been wary of cryptocurrencies due to the potential risks and regulatory concerns that could accompany them. Keep in mind that cryptocurrencies can be volatile, meaning their prices are subject to big swings up and down.
Where do you find it?
Coinbase recently had an initial public offering and became the first digital currency exchange to go public. The offering could lend more credibility to the fledgling cryptocurrency market, while possibly encouraging more IPOs in the industry, according to experts.
The other way to obtain it is through a process called mining. This is a complex and labor-intensive procedure that involves using computers that have large amounts of processing power, to create new units of a cryptocurrency using algorithms, or complicated mathematical formulas.
Miners essentially help track and update the networks containing distributed ledgers. You can think of it as payment in kind for taking care of the network. For example, successful Bitcoin miners get 12.5 bitcoin for each successful new block they help add to Bitcoin’s distributed ledger network, Orlic says.
Here’s something else to keep in mind: most cryptocurrency networks limit the number of units of cryptocurrency that can be in circulation. For example, the bitcoin network will stop producing bitcoin once there are 21 million in circulation. The limits help to ensure that the virtual currency has value, experts say.
How do you use cryptocurrency?
Unfortunately, you can’t store cryptocurrency in a standard bank account yet–although some banks appear to be working on it. Once you have your digital currency, you usually need to set up a digital wallet, and numerous versions of these are available for desktop or as a phone app. A wallet will allow you to store the currency, and use it in transactions.
While the list of merchants who take bitcoin for payment is still small, it’s ever-growing and includes big names like Dell, Microsoft, and Expedia who accept it through various bitcoin trading partners.
What are the risks?
Cryptocurrencies have experienced an enormous run up in value over the past few months. Some of those increases have been driven by venture capital and private equity investment money flooding into the virtual currency market, said Joshua Rosenblatt, a partner at law firm Frost Brown Todd, in Nashville, Tennessee, and an expert in digital payments.
“Investors have been seeking these outsized returns,” Rosenblatt says.
While cryptocurrency has been fertile territory for experienced hedge fund and venture capital investors, the average investor needs to exercise caution, financial experts say.
Cryptocurrencies can be extremely volatile, which means their values can be subject to big swings up and down. In late 2014, for example, bitcoin traded at close to a $1,000 a coin. Just five months later, in the spring of 2015, it’s value had fallen by nearly half.
One reason for the wild fluctuations, says Douglas Feldman, founder of ZAF Capital, in New York, and an advisor to Stash, is that it’s still early days, and the number of people using cryptocurrency is still relatively small. “If [cryptocurrency] usage was widely accepted, the values wouldn’t fluctuate meaningfully,” Feldman says.
For more information on the risks associated with cryptocurrencies, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which sets regulations pertaining to market investments, has published some guidelines, which you can find here.
Stash currently doesn’t offer the option to invest in cryptocurrencies. However, you can invest in companies that use or develop blockchain technology through investments, like ETFs, on the Stash platform.
The Stash Way includes regular investing, investing for the long term and diversification. You can also check out Stash’s portfolio diversification analysis tool in the app to help you diversify. And remember, all investing involves risk, and you can lose money in the stock market.
Key Takeaways: A cryptocurrency is a highly encrypted virtual currency that can be used to buy and sell goods and services, or as an investment vehicle. Banks won’t let you store it, so you have to set up a special digital wallet if you want to own it. Cryptocurrency is highly volatile, and can be subject to big swings in value. It’s still early days for cryptocurrency, but there is an interest in it, from big and small investors alike.


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When we officially launched Skift on July 30, 2012, we couldn't have envisioned the insanity and tragedy of 2020 and 2021. But we got through it as a company, and much of the global travel industry, licking its wounds, has likewise proved to be as adaptable as the circumstances demand.
In early 2013, five months after Skift’s official launch, we predicted that last-minute hotel bookings on mobile phones would become the norm, and that paying fees for ancillary services, from checked bags to spa appointments, would become second nature.
Looking back — Covid notwithstanding — we did a credible job in highlighting our predictions of 13 pertinent travel trends, with some of our forecasts so on point that today the things we envisioned in 2013 are now merely taken for granted.
While we nailed many of the 13 Global Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013, we missed the mark on a few, and others are nuanced or require further explanation.
As a grizzled Skift veteran who, along with my colleagues around the world, is marking Skift’s ninth anniversary Friday, I recall fondly that founder Rafat Ali, reporter Samantha Shankman, and myself researched and wrote the 13 Trends That Will Define Travel in 2013 from a cramped co-working space, AlleyNYC, on 7th Avenue in Manhattan.
Skift was just finding its footing in travel media, and our 2013 prognostications about key travel trends ultimately evolved over the years into our annual Megatrends franchise, which pre-Covid included global events and the magazine.
I’ve noticed over the years that so many other companies, from media competitors to major publicly traded online travel agencies, have hopped aboard our future of travel formulations and published their own because that’s what travel business executives are dying to find out about.
Over the years, we developed Skift’s core values, and they are the foundation of what energizes our annual Megatrends publication — now a collaboration of the Skift Editorial and Research Departments — over the course of several months annually. We didn’t even have a Research Department when we issued our initial 13 Trends in 2013.
Among those core values that fuel our annual Megatrends deliberations are: “Always come up with new ways & perspectives of looking at the world,” and “Always, always do our own thing, without fear.”
That always guided us and in Skift’s early days we were loved, resented and respected simultaneously. The word “Skift” means “shift” or “change” in the Nordic languages, and we were unafraid of rocking the powers that be in travel media when we came on the scene, predicting that we’d become the homepage of the travel industry. Our critics dismissed us at the time, but you judge for yourself how that boast turned out.
Of course, when you are making sometimes-daring and contrarian predictions, we can always take solace in our mantra, “Fuck it, let’s do it.”
On our ninth anniversary at Skift, we thought it would make for an interesting story to look back at a few of these key trends, and see how they turned out.
So the following are thoughts on some of the Trends we stood behind in January 2013.
Everyone Wants a Chinese Tourist — Mostly Correct
We gushed that in 2012 that the 1 billion international tourist milestone had been reached. By pre-pandemic year 2019, according to the World Tourism Organization, that number rose 50 percent to 1.5 billion, and about 155 million of these global wanderers were from China.
Hotels in many destinations indeed started stocking Mandarin-language menus and informational packets, and designer clothes stores on the Champs-Élysées began accepting WeChat Pay and Alipay. So Chinese tourists, once international travel resumes in earnest, may indeed once again be coveted guests.
The only caveats we’d raise are that the world has become even more polarized in the interim, and some destinations coming out of the pandemic are rethinking tourism’s impact on local populations.
U.S.-China tensions came to the fore, and China and South Korea were at loggerheads for a time over deployment of a U.S. missile defense system. These sorts of disputes, temporary or enduring as they might be, serve as a drag on Chinese outbound tourism with travelers diverted instead to closer destinations such as Hong Kong, Macau or Thailand.
Destinations sensitive to overtourism, in particular, could blunt enthusiasm at times for Chinese and other visitors.
Speaking of overtourism, we are proud of some of the terms over the years that Skift either coined or punctuated. Among them are overtourism, hate-selling, supertraveler, and permanxiety.
Ancillary Fees Are the New Normal —Bingo, Yes
Yes, today we reflexively pay — like it or not — fees on everything from checked bags to airline seat assignments.
As IdeaWorks wrote in in June 2021: For many airlines, revenue from seat assignment sales has moved up the income statement from a minor presence to a strong #2 spot. For some, this can be a billion-dollar result, and for every other airline it’s a multi-million-dollar business.”
OK, we didn’t predict the proliferation of hotel resort fees in some geographies, but that fits right into the trend.
Last-Minute Mobile Hotel Booking — Amen
In 2013, we talked about how HotelTonight was a single-minded and mobile-only app for same-day hotel bookings. Much has changed: Acquired by Airbnb in 2019, HotelTonight now has a website, and you can book a room up to 100 days in advance — in addition to that night at 10 p.m.
But as with many other apps, same-day hotel bookings on your phone are a staple of hotel-booking now. Other than price and availability questions during big events, why book ahead when you can procrastinate until later that night?
The Rise of Price Transparency — Yes, But
We said in 2013 that price transparency would become the norm. It certainly has become a major concern and has triggered regulatory action.
In 2019, following pressure from the European Commission and the Norwegian Consumer Authority, Airbnb starting displaying the total price upfront on the first page of listings for specific dates — for travelers in Europe. But you won’t necessarily see the total price, including cleaning fees, in the U.S., for example, where regulation has been relatively lax.
The European Commission in 2020 likewise pushed Booking.com and Expedia to display the total price of accommodations, including mandatory fees.
But while there is heightened attention to the issue by some regulators, price transparency remains a mess outside of Europe, and gotcha fees and the actual total price often come as unwelcome surprises to travelers.
Foodies Yes, and Bleisure Travel Interrupted
We were on the mark when we said in 2013 that food tourism would become a major thing. Think of all the travelers who Instagram-pick their desired destinations based on photos of Hawaiian short ribs or pork noodles in Malaysia.
The global culinary tourism market was valued at $1,1 trillion in 2019, according to Research and Markets, and is expected to reach a market value of $1.8 trillion by 2027, registering a compound annual growth rate of of 16.8 percent from 2020 to 2027.
In 2013, we forecast that arbitrary distinctions between business and leisure travel would be muddied in the future, and bleisure travel — tacking on some vacationing to your business trip — would pick up momentum, which it did.
However, Covid-19 erased business travel in many parts of the world, but the bleisure trend will certainly rise a new in a post-pandemic world.
Digital Maps as a Key Battleground — Yes and No
In the West, Google has certainly turned Google Maps, where you can do everything from sorting your mass transit options to booking a spa or hotel, has certainly put the fear of god into competitors.
But while some consider Google Maps to be the next potential superapp, those superapps themselves, from WeChat and Alibaba in China to Grab in Singapore, have supplanted maps as bigger battlegrounds for travel competition.
The Lure of Myanmar — Nope
In 2013, we wrote about the “Lure of the last unknown: The rise of Myanmar.” While Myanmar trended as a travel destination for awhile, and Myanmar tourism even secured a booth at a Pacific Asia Travel Association event three years ago in Malaysia, the Myanmar military crushed any semblance of democracy there, and carried out genocide, reversing the luster of a destination that was trending.
Hey, as we mark Skift’s 9th anniversary on July 30, 2021, in a world that is still being ravaged my Covid-19 nearly two years into the pandemic, we are already game-planning our Megatrends forecasts for next year.
If the past is a predictor of the future, we’ll be bold in our Megatrends predictions, and we’ll do so without fear.
Founding and Executive Editor Dennis Schaal was technically Skift employee No. 1, hired by Founder Rafat Ali and Co-Founder Jason Clampet. So he has celebrated all nine anniversaries.
Editor’s Note: The lead photo for this story was taken by Skift Founder Rafat Ali in the Mongolian desert, part of his solo world travels prior to launching Skift.
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Tags: bleisure, food tourism, hotels, maps, megatrends, mobile, pricing, skift, superapps, Travel Trends
Photo credit: The Mongolian desert. Rafat Ali / Skift


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SONY ERICSSON shocked the market yesterday by announcing a small profit despite hemorrhaging market share and having its supply chain rocked by the Japanese tsunami.
The firm was buoyed by surging demand for smartphones but missed analysts’ revenue forecasts by only shifting 8.1m units, giving it a lowly market share of just two per cent.
However it posted a pre-tax profit of €15m (£13m), beating an average analyst forecast for a loss of €24m.
Sony Ericsson has slashed costs – including cutting around 4,000 jobs – and refocused on higher margin smartphones that link to social networking sites like Facebook.
The share of smartphones in Sony Ericsson sales rose to 60 per cent from 40 per cent in the previous quarter.
But analysts say it still takes too long for the group to bring new products to market and it has been left trailing by the likes of Apple’s iPhone and smartphones from rivals such as Samsung and HTC.
Chief executive Bert Nordberg said: “The Japan earthquake made it a challenging quarter operationally and we are experiencing some disruptions to our supply chain.”
CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber said: “This is a challenging situation for Sony Ericsson, but with lowered operating expenses and continued improvement to gross margin, it is at least in a better position to weather the storm than it was 12 to 24 months ago.”


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The ascent this year of Bitcoin, a virtual currency forged through hardcore mathematics and buoyed by promises of financial liberation from banks, has been nothing short of mesmerizing.
A widely used security feature intended to protect access to online bank accounts is becoming increasingly ineffective, as cybercriminals develop advanced malicious software for Android devices, according to a report released Wednesday.
In the race to deliver online shopping purchases faster, drones don't impress eBay's CEO.
A man was shot and killed in San Francisco this week after he tried to sell his PlayStation 4 on Craigslist, highlighting the potential dangers of selling goods to strangers online.
The top product results in Google's Shopping service frequently feature products with higher prices than those listed on competing online shopping services, according to a complaint filed by longtime Google critic Consumer Watchdog.
Bitcoin: What is it, really? A digital currency? An investment? An Xbox game? For many people it's not clear, but that hasn't stopped venture capitalists from going gaga over it.
Amazon's ambitious plan to use flying drones to deliver packages is far-fetched, but not just because of technology limitations or air traffic regulations. Amazon's fulfillment center network, as it stands now, is too limited to serve even a tiny fra...
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's antitrust settlement with Google will create few changes in the way the company operates, both critics and fans of the deal said.
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OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 3/3T – Battery draining issues
OnePlus had recently released latest Oxygen OS update for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 3/3T. But it seems it has not gone down with the users and instead battery draning issues have cropped up. The update released is Oxygen OS 5.1.8. The smartphone maker is supposed to fix some issues for the users and it looks the same has not happened.
Users have complained on the OnePlus forums that their OnePlus 6 started to lose battery at a very high rate after the phone was updated to Oxygen OS 5.1.8. However, the problem is not only limited to the OnePlus 6 and it would seem that even the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T users are finding problems with their battery
One user has even complained that his phone had shut down at 50 percent following the update. It would seem that the screen of the device is consuming more battery than usual and it has reduced the battery life of the device to nearly half for some users.
As per a report by Gizmochina, users have said that both the devices are operating at reduced battery life and also that both the OnePlus 3/3T are not giving the usual battery low warning at 15 percent. The bug is said to be due to the most recent Oxygen OS 5.1.3 update. Users of OnePlus 5/5T have not reported any strange battery drain issues with their devices on the OnePlus forums. At least not yet. Keep watching this space for further updates.
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A study from Mastercard has found two in five – 44% – of global SMEs fear they will never achieve the same revenue levels as before the pandemic.
The research – found in Mastercard’s 2022 Borderless Payments Report – covered 3,000 small businesses from around the world.
The study found that 75% SMEs had to make changes to their business model in order to survive the pandemic, with this number reaching a high of 83% in the US, while 64% said they believe it has changed how they will do business forever.
Despite two in five worrying about returning to pre-pandemic revenue, the figure is down from 54% who expressed this same feeling back in 2020. The biggest concern on this matter is found amongst businesses in India and Saudi Arabia, while Brazilian and German firms are the least worried.
The pandemic has sped up digital transformation – with the study finding 68% of SMEs surveyed are now doing more online businesses. The figure is highest in South Africa, the US and South America, but significantly lower in Canada and Europe. Up to 43% said they now do more business internationally, with 37% saying they would have folded during the pandemic if it wasn’t for these overseas opportunities
Furthermore, 68% said the fact global cross-border payments network kept running during the worse of the pandemic has enabled their business to survive. Over half – 58% – said they are now making and receiving more cross-border payments than they were prior to the pandemic, rising significantly in India, Mexico and Brazil.
The study also found that six in ten SMEs said international sales enabled them to grow during the pandemic, with 65% saying it opened up options for new international suppliers and 63% planning to always source global suppliers going forward. Up to 59% said the pandemic has allowed them to source more competitive quotes from suppliers across borders while 46% said using international suppliers reduces risk.
Mastercard’s Small Business Digital Acceleration Program also delivers new services, education and resources to help small business digitally transform. These tools enable small businesses to quickly establish an online presence, protect their business against cyber threats, understand how to market in the digital space and more.
Mastercard EVP Stephen Grainger said, “The unprecedented disruption introduced by the pandemic has realigned global economics, with many of the world’s SMEs looking keenly towards prospects in new markets. With small businesses growing their international customer and supplier networks at pace, especially online, it’s crucial that financial institutions have the right cross-border solutions in place to support them.
“Cross-border payment systems must become faster, cheaper and more secure. Through a single point of access, Mastercard Cross-Border Services allows businesses to send and receive money safely and with the certainty they crave.”
Mastercard recently revealed it is linking all employee bonuses to the firm’s environmental, social and corporate-governance (ESG) performance.
Copyright © 2022 FinTech Global


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Prices of precious metals rebound strongly
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 5
The price of precious metals rose significantly in the trading week of November 29 and December 4.
According to Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association (FeNeGoSiDA), gold was traded at Rs 90,700 per tola on Sunday.
Its price fell by Rs 700 a tola to Rs 90,000 per tola on Monday. Bullion price was northbound for the remainder of the week. It went up by Rs 500 a tola each day for the next two days, to be priced at Rs 90,500 per tola on Tuesday and Rs 91,000 a tola on Wednesday. Gold price surged by a whopping Rs 1,600 per tola to be traded at Rs 92,600 a tola on Thursday and went up by another Rs 300 per tola on Friday to close the trading week at Rs 92,900 a tola.
The precious yellow metal surged by 2.42 per cent or 2,200 per tola over the review week.
According to Reuters, gold demand moderated this week in India after local prices recovered from a fivemonth trough, while buyers in other major hubs were also put off by a slight uptick in prices. Indian dealers were charging a premium of $3.5 an ounce over official domestic prices this week, inclusive of 12.5 per cent import and three per cent sales levies, down from last week’s premium of $5.
Neighbouring Bangladesh cut prices for all categories of gold for the second time in little over a week due to weak demand, Jewellers’ Association said. The new rates, with the best quality gold priced at 72,667 taka ($863.23) per Bhori, or 11.664 grams, came into effect from Wednesday.
In China, gold was sold at a discount of $20 an ounce to the international spot price versus last week’s $17 to $20. In Hong Kong, the metal was sold at a premium of $0.50 to $1.50.
Traders said a slump in international prices earlier this week triggered some interest which then turned lacklustre.
Benchmark spot gold prices are on track for a rise of nearly three per cent this week, having fallen to a five month low of $1,764.29 per ounce on Monday.
Singapore premiums were unchanged from last week at $1.20 an ounce.
In Japan gold was sold between flat and a premium of 50 cents to benchmark spot rates, Reuters reported.
Not only is the gold market seeing strong technical support for higher prices, but some analysts also note that the precious metal also continues to enjoy strong fundamental support.
Some analysts noted that November’s disappointing employment report is further evidence that the US government and Federal Reserve will have to unleash more stimulus to revive the beleaguered economy. On Friday, the US Bureau of Labour Statistics said 245,000 jobs were created last month; however, economists were expecting to see job gains of around 480,000.
Meanwhile, silver was traded at Rs 1,150 a tola on Sunday, as per the rate list of FeNeGoSiDA. Its price slumped by Rs 30 per tola to be priced at Rs 1,120 a tola on Monday. Similar to gold, the price of grey metal rose for the rest of the week. It was up Rs 35 per tola to Rs 1,155 a tola on Tuesday; up Rs 30 per tola to Rs 1,185 a tola on Wednesday; up Rs 20 per tola to Rs 1,205 a tola on Thursday and up five rupees per tola on Friday to close the trading week at Rs 1,210 a tola.
The price of grey metal soared by 5.22 per cent or Rs 60 per tola during the review week.


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Natural Food Company Getting Healthy
Published 4:00 am, Sunday, December 31, 2000
After a rough year, when its stock price plunged 75 percent, United Natural Foods, the nation's leading health-food distributor, is back in the land of organic milk and honey.
The company, which is the main supplier of what might be called "good-for- you groceries" to big chains like Whole Foods and Wild Oats Markets as well as to about 6,000 smaller health-food stores across the country, seems to have overcome managerial difficulties that angered both customers and investors. Now, with the economy slowing, the company is also looking ripe for a takeover.
Food industry stocks perform well in a tepid economy. United Natural Foods is attractive, some analysts say, because it is one of a handful of national, publicly traded companies in the $28 billion so-called healthy living industry,
which includes sellers of natural foods, beverages, herbs, vitamins and similar products.
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After going public in 1998, United Natural Foods was rated a strong buy by many brokerage firms until July 1999. Then the company announced a loss of 7 cents a share and revenues of $214 million for the quarter ended that June 30, missing expectations because of an ambitious plan to consolidate its East Coast operations. The stock price slid from $29, to $7.
"We took a pretty big hit," Michael S. Funk, the chief executive, said in an interview.
Funk, who sports a pony tail, wears purple high-top sneakers and is called "the Funkster," moved fast to fix the situation. Working closely with what he calls his "SWAT team" of operations experts, he dismissed a dozen employees and hired a contingent of outside information technology consultants to fix computer problems.
"He has quickly and commendably turned things around," says Yudi Bahl, senior research analyst with US BancCorp Piper Jaffray.
United Natural has only one national competitor, Tree of Life, which is part of the Dutch conglomerate Koninklijke Wessanen and has a narrower range of products.


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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Nearly a year after the launch of its first shoe, Alo Yoga is making some changes to the inaugural model.
More from Footwear News
Starting on Monday, the shoe formerly known as the “Alo x 01 Classic” sneaker will now be referred to as the “Recovery Mode” sneaker. According to Danny Harris, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Alo, the move to change the name came after reviewing customer feedback and the desire to highlight the shoe’s recovery features.
“The initial name of the sneaker was more of a way to mark that this was Alo’s first shoe to market that was a classic, everyday silhouette,” Harris told FN in an interview on Friday. “But what you didn’t get until you put on the shoe is the recovery component. So, rather than naming the shoe, as we did, with something that you visually got, we wanted a name that really spoke to what the shoe was about.”
But while the name might have changed, the design did not. The unisex sneaker still features a cushioned comfort collar, high-rebound recovery foam insoles to support pressure points and flexible interior soles for arch support.
“I believe that our customers will react really well to this new evolution of the Recovery Mode,” Harris said. “The new name allows us to continue to tell our story that we’ve been telling for so long. It’s about being the best version of yourself, quieting your negative subconscious, amplifying your positive subconscious, setting intentions goal and so on. So, I think that the shoe is very much in line with our values.”
Harris added that the demand for the sneaker still exceeds supply and is expected to remain that way for “some time,” as Alo fans still seek to score the style. “We’ve never had a product where we’ve had such overwhelming positive reviews,” he noted.
New for spring are a slew of fresh colorways. Up until recently, Alo’s first sneaker was only available in white on white. Now, the Recovery Mode sneaker is also available in black and white, pink and white, gravel and white, and grey and white colorways. An additional navy and white colorway is also now available in stores and will launch online on April 15. The sneaker retails for $185.
As for when Alo may launch another shoe, Harris teased that the company has a new model in the works. “I would anticipate that we would launch another shoe before the end of the year,” Harris said. “But in the meantime, we are 100 percent committed to this recovery shoe. I believe this shoe will be in our line forever.”
Harris and is team are also full steam ahead on the company’s bullish store opening strategy. In May last year, the CEO told FN that he expects Alo to have 100 stores companywide by the end of 2024. “I believe we will be over 30 percent above that original goal by the end of this year,” Harris said. “It’s really exciting to both love what you do enjoy and to also see the positive impact that you have on people’s lives.”
Best of Footwear News


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Huawei launched the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro with Android 8.0 pre-loaded late last year, promising a number of Oreo updates for older devices, of which only the Mate 9 was recently able to leave Nougat behind.
Of course, the Chinese company is also in charge of software support for phones released under the Honor sub-brand, not to mention P10 and P10 Plus users were treated to public 8.0 beta tests these past couple of months.
And now the official rollout is underway for the spring 2017-released Kirin 960 duo, at least in the Philippines. We have reason to believe Oreo goodies are being delivered OTA as we speak across Asian and European territories, with Canada likely to join the party by the end of the month as well.
Unfortunately, the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus have never been officially available in the US, not even in unlocked variants. Hopefully, the P20 and P20 Pro will be a different story, although the old continent seems to remain the primary focus area of the high-end smartphone family.
Android 8.0 Oreo is obviously arriving on the P10 and P10 Plus in heavily skinned EMUI 8.0 form, apparently tipping the scales at a whopping 2.6GB or so. A lengthy changelog posted by an Android Police commenter includes a large number of “smart”, “fast” and “safe” add-ons and improvements, from a new floating Navigation dock to AI-based optimizations for “greater stability, fluidity, and speed”, and “enhanced protection for your system, privacy, and data.”


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Deliveroo has just announced that the world’s first billboard made entirely out of burgers is set to come to London.
The billboard, which will stand at four metres tall (as tall as a double decker bus) will be assembled using thousands of burgers – which will be totally free for the public to dig into.
Yep, you can literally gorge on a tower of burgers. It’s the dream.
The billboard will be made up of six metre rows upon six metre rows of burgers, coming from some of the capital’s best burger joints.
It comes in celebration of burgers being one of the nation’s popular takeaway dishes, and to encourage people to eat ‘more amazing food’, according to Deliveroo.
Customers (can we really call you customers if it’s free?), can expect classics from some of Deliveroo’s exclusive and most popular restaurant partners, with chicken and vegetarian options also available.
The billboard will be launching at the Old Truman Brewery, London, on 13 March at 7pm.
How to get your hands on a free burger
Address: The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QR
How to get there: 5 minute walk from Shoreditch High Street Station, 10 minute walk from Liverpool Street Station
Opening times: Tuesday 13 March, 12pm -7pm


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ZIMBABWE has since the beginning of the year earned $544,1 million from tobacco exports reflecting a decrease of 2,2 percent from the comparable period in 2017.
In a weekly bulletin for the period ended October 26, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) indicated that during the period under review, Zimbabwe exported 121 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf while last year $556,5 million was generated from 123,7 million kilogrammes exported.
Between January and October 26, the average price of tobacco remained unchanged at last year’s level of $4,50 a kilogramme. Of the 121 million kilogrammes so far exported to different parts of the world, China was leading, having imported 31,2 million kilogrammes worth $226,4 million at an average price of $7,25 a kilogramme.
On second spot was South Africa, which imported 21,6 million kilogrammes at an average price of $2,88 generating $62 million while Belgium has so far consumed 11,1 million kilogrammes spending $40,4 million at $3,68 a kilogramme .
Indonesia has also imported 11,1 million kilogrammes at $45,9 million at an average price of $4,13 while the United Arab Emirates has so far spent $21,4 million importing 10,5 million kilogrammes at an average price of $2,04 a kilogramme.
A total of 61 countries including the United Kingdom, China, Iran, France, Zambia, North Korea, Jordan, and Nigeria were importing the golden leaf from Zimbabwe while during the same period last year 64 nations imported the local tobacco.
Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s biggest foreign currency earners followed by gold. Last year tobacco exports topped $900 million, which was a marginal decrease from the $933 million the previous season.
Across the country, the area put under tobacco has slightly decreased from 110 518 hectares last year to 104 397ha.
Given its economic contribution, the Government has announced that starting this year, tobacco will now be covered under the Command Agriculture programme.
Equity Axis is an online financial media service platform focused on African markets offering real-time stock quotes, news, analysis and data.


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ABARES has upgraded its forecast for average saleyard cattle prices in 2019-2020 by 20c/kg, based on its expectations of strengthening demand for beef versus tightening supplies of cattle.
In its latest quarterly outlook released today, ABARES forecasts a weighted average saleyard price of 480c/kg in 2019-20, up from the 460c/kg average it forecast for the same period three months ago.
The upward revision assumes a return to average seasonal conditions over the northern wet season, which many producers across the north will be desperate to see, but which is not strongly supported for the NT or Qld by the latest Bureau of Meteorology rainfall outlook, but more promising for WA (see maps)
Should average seasonal conditions return during the forthcoming northern wet season, ABARES says the impact of producers commencing herd rebuilding will lead to lower slaughter rates, lower supply of cattle in saleyards and lower exports of beef.
The percentage of adult slaughter originating from feedlots is forecast to grow, with expectations of an improved winter crop leading to lower feed grain prices.
Global demand for beef is also tipped to be stronger based on one particular factor above all: the expected rise in Chinese demand for beef as a result of the ongoing outbreak of African Swine Fever and its impact on the overall meat protein supply in China.
“This will substantially reduce the supply of meat in China, and imports of all proteins are expected to increase as a result,” the ABARES forecast says.
“In the six months to June 2019, China became Australia’s second-largest market for beef exports in value and volume terms, overtaking traditional markets such as the Republic of Korea and the United States.”
ABARES’s view is that the outbreak is likely to be a temporary shock that will eventually be contained and result in demand growth returning to past levels.
“When this happens, Australia is likely to have ceded market share in traditional markets—including Japan and Korea—to competitors such as the United States.”
Between March and June 2019, the proportion of female slaughter was 58pc—the highest on record.
The impact of this high rate of female turn-off on the size of the breeding herd will slow the rate herd rebuilding and limit beef production in coming years, ABARES says.
In the event of seasonal conditions not returning to average, and poor or later than expected rainfall resulting, the delay in delay pasture growth would lead to a continuation of increased turn-off of cattle and delay herd rebuilding.
This would increase the reliance of producers on purchasing cattle rather than breeding, and result in sharper increases in prices of young cattle when pasture growth improves.
US–Japan trade agreement nearing completion
ABARES has also drawn attention to the recent agreement in principle between the United States and Japan to a trade agreement in August 2019, with both expected to sign the agreement in September.
Under the new deal Japan is expected to reduce tariff rates on imports of US beef to a similar level as those Australia accesses under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) agreement.
“This is a downside risk to beef export forecasts because Australia currently has a significant tariff advantage over the United States in Japan. In 2019 Australian beef exports to Japan face a tariff rate of 26.6pc under the TPP-11 compared with 38.5pc for US exports without a trade deal.
“The deal would put downward pressure on finished cattle prices in Australia because Japan is Australia’s largest beef export market.”
I believe ABARES are still behind the situation as I commented back in June.


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Japanese carmakers are becoming increasingly worried about the Korean competition.
Everything looks good for South Korea:
- The Korean currency, the Won, is low
- Quality is improving
- Korea hammers out trade deal after trade deal, making Korean exports even cheaper
Japan on the other hand:
- Has an obscenely high Yen
- Has their quality image marred by the Toyota witch-hunt
- Has no major trade agreements to speak of
Unable to do something significant fast about currency or quality image, Japanese automakers are pressuring their government to at least make some free trade deals.
Toshiyuki Shiga, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and COO of Nissan recently said: “We want the government to further promote economic partnership agreement negotiations to level the playing field in the global market.”
The JAMA told their government that “South Korean carmakers have expanded their market shares in North America, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East compared with the 2007 levels. Japanese automakers, in contrast, have managed to increase their share only in North America,” The Nikkei [sub] reports.
Chile charges a 6 percent tariff on passenger cars. When the tariff on Korean cars went to zero along with a free trade agreement, imports from South Korea overtook shipments from Japan for the first time. Now, a much bigger change is impending.
Europe charges a 10 percent tariff on cars. A free trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union will take effect in July 2011. Hyundai-Kia is already increasing market share in Europe, while most Japanese makes (except Nissan) are falling behind.
With the 10 percent customs duty gone, Hyundais will get much cheaper. A €20,000 car costs €26,180 after customs duty and the 19 percent VAT. VAT is charged on the total of landed goods (incl freight) plus customs. With the duty gone, it’s down do $23,800.
The Free Trade Agreement will allow South Korean automakers to reduce their prices.
“That will be a significant threat,” says Shiga.
And the Japanese industry has a threat of their own. “Unless the situation changes, Japanese automakers may start questioning the need to carry on domestic production,” says the Nikkei.
They have been saying this for a while. Repeat it a few more times, and their government may begin to believe it. Especially when Koreans are involved.


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President Trump says three new U.S. manufacturing facilities for Apple are coming. Foxconn, Apple’s primary manufacturer, says not so fast.
Updated July 26:
It looks like Foxconn has decided on a location for its new U.S. plant for display panels. The winning state is Wisconsin, according to CNBC:
Apple-supplier Foxconn will announce a plant in Wisconsin on Wednesday evening, accompanied by President Donald Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a source with knowledge of the announcement told CNBC.
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., will also be present at the announcement in Washington, a source said. No exact location for the plant has been chosen — but southeast Wisconsin is under consideration, according to a source.
As originally published:
On Tuesday, President Trump told The Wall Street Journal that Apple CEO Tim Cook said to him Apple would build “three big plants, beautiful plants.”
The president explained:
I spoke to [Mr. Cook], he’s promised me three big plants—big, big, big. I said you know, Tim, unless you start building your plants in this country, I won’t consider my administration an economic success. He called me, and he said they are going forward.
Later, Foxconn told CNN Money “it is not currently possible to confirm the locations for those potential investments or estimate the number of jobs that might be created.” Instead, they noted it was still “conducting an evaluation of the conditions and potential locations for establishing manufacturing facilities in the U.S.”
On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported at least one Foxconn display plant would be opening in Wisconsin, while another was possible in the Detroit, Michigan area.
In recent months, Foxconn has also looked at places in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas for its new U.S. operations valued at $10 billion.
It was in January when Nikkei said that Apple and Foxconn planned on building flat-panel displays in the U.S. At the time, Gou told reporters that a U.S. production site could eventually create 30,000 to 50,000 jobs.
This wasn’t the first time that we’ve heard that Foxconn was considering moving or creating jobs in the U.S. In November, the Nikkei Asian Review said that Foxconn was considering moving some iPhone production to the U.S.
Where would you like to see Foxconn built a U.S. plant? Let us know below.


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Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is planning a two week shutdown of its Solihull plant at the end of October.
Britain’s biggest carmaker has faced falling diesel sales in recent months and has warned about weakening global demand, announcing job cuts and a three-day week at another facility.
JLR said employees at the West Midlands plant would be paid for the duration of the shutdown and no jobs would be lost.
The Unite union called the news deeply troubling.
Unite national officer Des Quinn said: “Government ministers’ trashing of diesel, despite the UK making some of the cleanest engines in the world, combined with their shambolic handling of Brexit is damaging the UK car industry and the supply chain.
“Add into the mix the government’s half-hearted support for the transition to electric and alternatively powered cars and you have a triple whammy facing the UK’s car workers.”


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(Reuters Health) – “Clean” skin care products that are free of certain chemicals are not always safer than their traditional counterparts, dermatologists warn.
Arbitrary descriptions of products as “clean” or “natural” are not regulated, and many of these products contain high concentrations of ingredients that can cause irritation and allergies, the authors write in an editorial in JAMA Dermatology.
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“We wanted to shed light on the fact that the ‘clean beauty’ movement is more of a business model and marketing tool that plays on the trend of people wanting to use natural rather than synthetic products right now,” said Dr. Bruce Brod of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, who co-wrote the editorial.
“Instead, we need to take a more balanced approach when choosing which products to use on our skin,” Brod said in a phone interview.
Between 2017 and 2018, the natural skin care market grew by 23% to $1.6 billion, accounting for about a quarter of the $5.6 billion annual skin care sales in 2018, Brod and co-author Dr. Courtney Blair Rubin, also a dermatologist in Philadelphia, point out.


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National operator, Globacom, last Saturday evening sent off the second group of winners in its ongoing consumer loyalty promotion, Go Russia, to the eastern European country.
The lucky subscribers departed for Russia via Emirates Airline at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. This brings to 13 the total number of Glo subscribers who have so far benefitted from the promotion. Seven winners who emerged in the first draw had earlier traveled to Russia after a reception held for them by Globacom.
The six winners in the second group include Osagie Edwin Isibor from Benin City, Mayowa Ibe Akinbode from Ijaiye in Abeokuta, Muyideen Olayiwola Disu from Isale Eko, Lagos, Maxwell Igwegbe from Lugbe in Abuja, Popoola Abdulrafia Olaide from Ijebu Igbo and Ebube Benson Uzoma from Imo State.
With 13 winners having gone on the all-expenses paid trip thus far, 9 more subscribers will still benefit as a total number 22 winners are to emerge in the promotion.
Just before the second group left for the airport on Saturday evening, Globacom hosted them at its headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, where it charged them to represent the country well in Russia. However, one of the winners, Osagie Edwin Isibor from Benin City, had his travel documents waiting for him, but could not make the trip owing to poor health
The grandmasters of data urged its subscribers and those not yet on its network to seize the opportunity of the promotion to get a chance to enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Russia which is currently hosting the world. It added that â€œmore winners will be unveiled from the next set of draws to be conducted soon in the GO RUSSIA promo which was unveiled to reward our amazing subscribers who have stood solidly behind the brand over the yearsâ€.
On their part, the excited subscribers were full of praise for Globacom for fulfilling its pledge to take them to Russia. One of them, a 200-level Public Administration student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Miss Uzoma Ebube Benson said, “Globacom has shown over the years that it is a company that truly believes in Nigeria and Nigerians with the way it gives back to the country”.
Another winner, 32-year-old Akinbode Mayowa, a fashion designer said, “The trip is very unique because this is the first time I will be making a foreign trip and it is absolutely free of charge in every respect”.
Similarly, Disu Muyideen Olayiwola from Lagos confessed that he initially doubted the genuineness of the promo â€œbut it is a reality today, and I cannot but be grateful to Globacom for this golden and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.
The promo which started on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 is open to all new and existing Glo subscribers on both the prepaid and postpaid platforms. Those who want to take part in it should send GO to 240 on the Glo network between now and when the promo will end.


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Hostess Brands CEO William Toler to retire
This is effective March 1, 2018 or sooner if a replacement is appointed.
Mr. Toler will remain on the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Toler has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since April 2014 and a member of the Board of Directors since June 2017.
He brings more than 30 years of consumer packaged goods industry experience to Hostess.
Prior to joining Hostess, he worked as an operating partner at Oaktree Capital from October 2013 to April 2014.
Prior to that, Mr. Toler served from September 2008 to September 2013 as the Chief Executive Officer of AdvancePierre Foods, a supplier of value-added protein and hand-held convenience products to the food service, school, retail, club, vending and convenience store markets.
Prior to joining AdvancePierre, Mr. Toler was President of Pinnacle Foods from July 2005 to September 2008.
He has also held key positions at ICG Commerce, Campbell Sales Company, Nabisco, Reckitt & Colman and Procter & Gamble.


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CNET editors choose the best 802.11ac networking devices, including wireless routers.
The Archos 40B Titanium may not have the most high-end features, but dual speakers promise a tuneful listening experience.
The reasonable $80 price tag, dual-core processor, and Android 4.0, make the LG Optimus L9 a reliable midlevel handset.
If your wallet's as bottomless as Scrooge McDuck's and your hunger for calfskin and titanium is insatiable, Vertu's new luxury blower could be for you.
Samsung's new 4G phone isn't nearly as powerful as its bigger brothers, but it could get you 4G on the cheap.
Pricing not available
With top performance and friendly pricing, the Trendnet TEW-818DRU is a excellent choice for those wanting a robust home network.
Available this month, the new Android phone will offer a dual-SIM technology for people who need to jump from one carrier to another.
Fast, user-friendly, and affordable, the WD Black 2 Dual Drive is an easy recommendation as a replacement drive for any standard laptop or desktop computer.
Pics of the thorougly rumoured HTC One Mini have popped up online, alongside screenshots that apparently confirm its specs.
BlackBerry's rumoured to unveil a new flagship 5-inch touchscreen phone called the A10 later this year -- and it looks like the Galaxy S4.
Leaked specs allegedly for the S4 Mini point to a Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel camera in the back.


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Kuna's inconspicuous cam boasts some advanced features to help you deter crimes of opportunity.
These new high-end light fixtures from Philips feature smart LEDs that work with the Hue connected ecosystem.
Click here for the list of which 2013/14 Premier League games will be screened live by Sky Sports and BT Sport channels.
The flat-panel lighting tech is for sale at Home Depot starting at $200, providing a new energy-efficient alternative to LED lights.
The latest puzzle game from King.com is making waves on mobile devices, and its advertising campaign on Facebook has reached millions of people.
CNET members share their thoughts on LED bulbs.
After Destiny's September release, Activision Blizzard is the latest large game maker to beat Wall Street estimates with the help of online purchases, signaling a bounce back for the industry.
It's Black Tuesday! How else to explain such an impossibly good deal on such a spacious TV?
A new report pegs Apple gadget as the most exciting upcoming entrant in the wearable tech race. But getting consumers to purchase and continue wearing these gadgets will prove pivotal.
With its online chat feature, Mozilla works to break down the walls around services like Microsoft Skype and Google Hangouts.


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Existing security measures online are resulting in a ‘Millennial malaise’, as 16 to 35-year olds are increasingly losing trust in today’s digital economy.
This continuing loss of trust serves as a stark warning to businesses and government departments who provide online services and products, as millennials protest that easily-hackable safeguards are potentially putting their data in the hands of criminals.
According to research of 2,000 UK and US millennials, a dire 5% believe that their digital identity and personal data are completely protected by effective safeguards.
More concerning still, just 6% their data is completely secure based on the password policy they apply.
"Today’s Millennials have been digitally spoon-fed since birth, yet a general malaise is brewing among this demographic in terms of how safe their online data really is," says Lubna Dajani, a communications technology expert and futurist.
"Millennials understand their personal information is a form of currency they need to part with to access online services. Yet they participate in this ‘digital trade-off’ in the belief that more can be done to protect their privacy.
"Millennials want more control over who should be able to access their information; businesses and governments should urgently review current security protocols, or risk the potential to drive innovation and growth."
When it comes to the future of the digital-connected world, driven by mobile devices, millennials seem to have no confidence in privacy and security. Nearly 70% believed the risk to their online safety will increase, with 31% believing this increase will be dramatic.
More disturbingly, 54% felt the failure of companies and governments to adequately protect identities and data would result in public distrust of goods and services.
In what should be a wake-up call to businesses, 44% believed there will be an eventual decline in data sharing and 36% predicted demands for action.
Smaller but still significant percentages of the research group said there is potential for a decline in economic or political stability.
"It’s time for organisations to stop playing fast and loose with what, in a digital economy, are our most important assets – our identity and our data," commented Intercede CEO Richard Parris.
"There seems to have been a collective consensus that Millennial will accept sub-standard security in exchange for online services. This clearly isn’t the case. The humble password should be consigned to the dusty digital archives where it belongs.
"To restore trust, smart companies need to look to stronger authentication techniques to ensure the future of digital commerce and information exchange and their own competitive edge."


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|Peter (middle) and Joe (right) Gardner, Curry's Owners,
being presented the award at the celebration by Peter
Stanton (left), Publisher at the Worcester Business Journal.
Curry Printing was honored by being named the regions “Best Commercial Printer” at the Worcester Business Journal’s 2014 Best of Business (BOB) Awards. The awards celebration was held on Wednesday, January 29th at Coral Seafood on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester. Attendees included over 300 professionals from businesses who were also selected for excellence in their individual industry or category.
Awards were given based on an online readers’ poll conducted by the Worcester Business Journal (WBJ). This was WBJ’s first online survey. It was used to determine the best business-to-business companies that truly offer the best service, attention to detail and most customer-focused employees who deliver outstanding products and services.
“Curry is thrilled to be selected for such a prestigious award,” says Peter Gardner, Curry’s President. “The fact that this distinction comes directly from voting done by our loyal clients and the public, this really means the world to us. Helping regional businesses excel is our focus and it’s great to see they feel we are doing our job well,” Gardner continued.


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Perhaps the largest home security company in North America ADT has seen the writing on the wall for the professionally installed system, or perhaps ADT is just keen to hop on the exploding bandwagon of the DIY smart home. But whichever cliche fits the launch of Blue, ADT's first DIY smart home security system, it looks like they've done a very good job.
Ambient verdict: Blue by ADT Indoor and Outdoor Camera review
With a long, if slightly checkered history of tying the smart home into home security (ADT introduced the Pulse smart home system in 2010 and recently upgraded it to the Command and Control system), ADT's newest foray into smart home security ticks pretty much all the boxes.
Low prices, fully-featured cameras, compatible with every major smart home protocol, and backed by ADT's professional monitoring service, Blue by ADT is a solid DIY security system and an even more impressive smart home set up.
Read this: Best smart home security systems
Our only gripe at this stage is the look: the components are bulky and inelegant, and the "pearl gray" color, while a change from entirely white and black options elsewhere, just doesn't look pretty. A graphite grey, which will presumably be darker, is coming soon.
But when it comes to price and features there's not a lot to complain about: no required monthly fees, no long term contracts and all the smarts of systems that cost a lot more.
The full smart home security set up will roll out this Spring, but at CES this month ADT showed off its three security cameras - a wired doorbell, a wired indoor camera and a battery-powered outdoor camera, each costing $199.99.
These are fully specced out cameras, each featuring HD 1080p video, facial recognition, smart alerts with video previews, motion zones, two-way talk and 24 hours of video storage for free.
60 days of cloud storage is $2.99 a month per camera or $12.99 for unlimited cameras. Or ditch the cloud entirely with the option of local storage using onboard SD cards.
The indoor camera can also listen for smoke alarms and will have Alexa built in. All three cameras can be bought now as stand alone devices, or paired with the Blue‚Äôs DIY security system.
The system will include a central hub/keypad, door/window sensors, motion sensors and smoke and leak detectors. It can be self-monitored or pay for ADT‚Äôs professional monitoring for $19.99 a month, with no contract. Pricing for the security components has not been released yet.
There is also a Wi-Fi extender for $49.99 that can act as an indoor chime for the doorbell, as well as help improve battery life on the outdoor camera and connectivity between all the cameras. ADT says the outdoor camera has a battery life of 3 to 6 months, depending on use.
Most interestingly from the smart home side of things, Blue will not use ADT‚Äôs proprietary radio frequency, instead the system's hub will use Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, cellular and a "Thread or Zigbee radio, we haven't decided which one yet," an ADT spokesperson told The Ambient at CES. Plus, Alexa will be built-in to both the hub and the indoor camera.
The inclusion of Zigbee and Z-Wave means you can connect any compatible locks, sensors, lights and thermostats to round out your smart home set up - although only Blue's components will be part of the monitored security.
Alexa and IFTTT integration are available now, with Google Assistant and HomeKit compatibility coming with the full launch. The cameras are HomeKit-ready, but won't work with HomeKit until the whole system is released.
This move is not a big surprise, ADT purchased the Lifeshield DIY security system early last year and built Blue on its platform (it's backwards compatible with all Lifeshield devices).
But it is an indicator of a seismic shift in the world of home security, one where smart, lifestyle-focused features and flexible systems are quickly replacing security-only solutions and long-term contracts. For the smart home, this can only be a good thing. It's going to be the fastest way to bringing these innovative, exciting smart home solutions to the mainstream.


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JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) – Xendit, the fastest growing digital payments infrastructure for Indonesia, Philippines, and other Southeast Asia’ countries, has raised Series B funding worth of US$64.6 million led by Accel, the company announced on Tuesday (03/02). In years, the company has raised $88 million in funding.
Moses Lo, CEO and co-founder of the company, commented, “This latest investment will enable Xendit to scale our digital payments infrastructure quickly and provide millions of small and medium-sized businesses across Southeast Asia with an on-ramp to the digital economy.”
Amid Southeast Asia’ rapid digital transformation, the provider is quickly bolstering businesses of all sizes, processing more than 65 million transactions with $6.5 billion in payment value annually. With more than 170 million Indonesians online and a rapidly growing middle class, Indonesia’ digital economy is on track to quadruple by 2025
The company said, Accel led the round with added support from YCombinator. Xendit is the first Indonesian company to go through YCombinator’ accelerator program. Its efforts dovetail perfectly with the region’ continued steps towards digitization and financial freedom.
“Xendit has quietly built a modern digital payments infrastructure that’s transformed how Southeast Asian businesses transact. We’re excited to partner with Moses, Tessa and the founding team to help take Xendit to the next level,” said Ryan Sweeney, partner at Accel.
Southeast Asia’ digital economy soaring to $100 billion in this year, expanded 5 percent from 2019, said the Google – Temasek – Bain in the latest report. Indonesia and Vietnam continued to grow at double-digit rates, but Singapore’ internet economy contracted 24 percent to $9 billion as the pandemic choked the travel sector.
The report covered Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines showed, over the past four years, the number of internet users in the countries has increased by 100 million, most of them are youths, aged 15 to 19. In 2020, the region added 40 million new internet users, taking the total to 400 million.
The report added, the number implies 70 percent of the region’ population is now online. The e-commerce business its expecting grow 63 percent to $62 billion in 2020. It said, the region’ online industry is poised to triple to $309 billion in gross merchandise value by 2025.
With an 11 percent increase in online users, Southeast Asia become one of the world’ fastest growing internet markets, compared to around 4.7 billion internet users worldwide. In early report, Google – Temasek estimates, Indonesia’ digital economy could increases more than four times by 2025 to $100 billion. Beside e-commerce, online transportation sector is also considered attractive.
Recently, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members expressed commitment to synchronize regulations on e-commerce on each jurisdictions as part of an effort to strengthen the digital economy development in the bloc that is home to around 700 million population.
The five member countries have linked to the ASEAN Single Window, with objective to expedite cargo clearance and promote the organization economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the members. in 2019, The ASEAN Economic Community ratify the completion of the Digital Integration Framework Action Plan 2019 – 2025 to advance and overcome digital integration barriers in ASEAN.
Written by Editorial Staff, Email: email@example.com


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Many have wondered if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will extend its Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) beyond November 1, 2021. Well, now, the CDC has decided to temporarily extend the order into January 2022, which a voluntary program will then follow in coordination with the cruise industry.
CDC Conditional Sailing Order Extended
With the CDC extending the Conditional Sailing Order, it now means cruise lines will have to continue to follow the guidelines and requirements until January 15, 2022. However, with several cruise lines already extending their own protocols into next year, there won’t be much of a change.
The cruise ship order was updated on October 25 on the CDC’s website, which says, “CDC extended the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (CSO) with minor modifications. The CDC Director signed the Temporary Extension & Modification of the CSO on October 25, 2021; it is effective upon expiration of the current CSO on November 1, 2021.”
The CDC says in the extension order, “However, considering the continued spread of the Delta variant, emergence of other COVID-19 variants of concern, breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated, and possible additional surges of cases and deaths, CDC has determined a temporary extension of the CSO is necessary for foreign-flagged cruise ships operating on international itineraries. After the expiration of this temporary extension, CDC intends to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with interested cruise ship operators and other stakeholders, to assist the cruise ship industry to detect, mitigate, and control the spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships.”
You can read the entire order below:
There are some ways that the order could come to an end earlier than January 15, 2022. The order could be rescinded by the CDC Director, which is very unlikely. Another way the order could end earlier is if the Secretary of Health and Human Services expires the public health emergency.
Several updates to the CSO over the months, one of the most significant being that vaccinated guests have to get tested within two days before the cruise ship departs. The order only applies to cruise ships that operate in the U.S. or those foreign-flagged vessels that operate outside the U.S. and plan to return to the country.
What Follows the Conditional Sailing Order?
We are far from the early days of the pandemic when the CDC and the cruise lines were not in agreement due to complicated requirements and guidelines. Since then, the situation has moved on, with the CDC and the cruise industry working together on a safe return of operations.
This engagement and corporations will continue from January 15, 2022, with a new voluntary program. All parties will work together to ensure that guests and crew remain protected and control the spread onboard cruise ships.
The CDC said, “After the expiration of the Temporary Extension & Modification of the CSO, CDC intends to transition to a voluntary program, in coordination with cruise ship operators and other stakeholders, to assist the cruise ship industry to detect, mitigate, and control the spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships.”
We may see further modifications depending on how the pandemic continues to spread and the impact on cruises and ports of call. However, cruise lines have proved that cruise ships can sail safely despite increased cases not just in the U.S. but destinations around the world.
Carnival Cruise Line has already announced that its ships will continue to sail for vaccinated guests through February 2022. With the CSO set to come to an end in 2022, cruise lines will still be taking its guidance from the CDC to make sure everyone remains safe.
The Conditional Sailing Order was first announced on October 30, 2020, and it came during a time when the cruise industry was suspended and vessels put on hold. Prior to the order was the No Sail Order, which went into effect in March 2020, when the cruise industry first shut down.


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Citi’s CMO believes the bank’s innovative digital innovation and social media banking strategy will strengthen the 200-year-old business and make it more profitable.
On December 5, new chief executive Michael Corbat cut over 84 branches of Citi‘s (@Citi) 4,000 branches, slashing 11,000 jobs. The move is said to be unrelated to the resignation of Michelle Peluso to become chief executive of Gilt Groupe (@giltgroupe).
Citi’s announcements do not relate the job losses to the digital strategy, but in all of the 150 markets it competes in.
On Citi’s first touch in social media, many disagreed with Peluso and it took six months before a customer feedback tool was added to the IT systems.
Although Peluso will be leaving the company in February, she points out that she will continue to supervise the digital operation for the next two months, making her chief of marketing and digital officer.
Peluso also believes that it is important to focus on what customers want rather than to make other financial services companies the benchmark. Customer satisfaction and convenience are the attributes that Peluso quotes as important.
On October 31, ICM research shows that 85% of UK consumers feel unrewarded of their loyalty and less than 10% would recommend the same brand to friends. Yet, only 15% would consider changing providers.
On Doe’s incremental innovation, Peluso gives examples to improve existing practices through customer data with search optimization, landing page design, and display ads. The data also allowed her to argue Citi’s innovation where she pointed out the rise of online credit card customers from 10% to 40-50%. However, she also admitted that the security of digital banking tools is still a concern.
- Citi cuts 11,000 jobs and 84 branches
- 85% of UK consumers do not feel rewarded of their loyalty
- 10% would not recommend the same company to friends
- 155 would consider changing their financial providers
- Online credit card customers increased from 10% to 40-50%
Michelle Peluso, Citi’s Chief Marketing and Digital Officer: “We increasingly believe – given the customers we serve, who tend to be worldly, urban and digitally savvy – that the ability to have branches as an anchor point but use digital to create a wider nexus is a very powerful thing.”
Richard Doe, Chief Executive at ING Direct: “The interesting thing about the payment space is that banks are no longer competing just with each other, they are competing with other operators – PayPal, eBay and so on.”
Dermot Boden, Chief Brand Officer of Citigroup: “I don’t think you can possibly think of marketing without digital. If you do, you’re probably a couple of decades out; I don’t think you can divorce the two.”
Covered by my Visible Banking Team
In your opinion, how much will social media and digital banking help financial institutions like Citi improve their services and increase their overall customer satisfaction? We invite you to share your thoughts about social media banking, here, via twitter or on our Facebook page.


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Facebook has acknowledged four new errors in the figures it shares with advertisers and publishers. The “bugs” could cause companies to think users had spent longer reading news articles than they had done, and that more people had been exposed to non-paid posts than had been the case.
The alert comes two months after the firm revealed it had overestimated the average time users had watched videos.
But Facebook says none of the cases would have affected its fees.
Neither would all of the examples have worked in its favour.
One of the newly revealed flaws meant it was underreporting the percentage of users who had watched videos on its platform to their end.
Facebook makes more than 200 metrics about its site available to third parties.
The latest mistakes might appear relatively minor in nature, but one digital marketing expert said they undermined confidence in the social network.
“It certainly doesn’t help when they keep having to restate metrics, especially when companies are buying ads based on that data,” said Ian Maude, group development director at Be Heard.
“It adds to concerns that advertisers and agencies already have and underlines the argument that there should be some sort of independent third-party measurement system, which could give people a little bit more confidence in the numbers.”
Facebook said that it planned to create a measurement council to give businesses a say in the development of future metrics, and that it had also created a new internal review process.